Summary
- Obama's official White House portrait moved from front.
- Now hangs by the Grand Staircase, not public.
- Restricted access for family, Secret Service, staff.
- Breaks tradition of public presidential portrait display.
- Previously replaced Trump assassination painting in hallway.
A White House official confirmed the change to USA TODAY.
In recent weeks, tensions between the current and former presidents have increased. The former president and his advisers allegedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" against Trump following his victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016, a report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that Obama criticized last month.
In a statement, Obama's staff brushed aside the Trump administration's assertions as "nonsense and misinformation." During a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in the Oval Office, Trump also charged Obama with treason, labeling him a "ringleader" and his acts "seditious."
Beginning with the birther conspiracy theory, Trump has a lengthy history of attacking Obama.
Currently, Obama's picture, which was painted by Robert McCurdy and unveiled in September 2022, is located at the landing of the entrance to the president's private residence at the top of the White House's Grand Staircase. During White House tours, the public is not allowed in the area.
Obama's portrait has been repositioned twice now. Out of all the current presidents, the 44th has the greatest favorability rate.
It was moved in April to create room for a photo that showed Trump's blood-soaked face and the American flag in the background during the assassination attempt in Bulter, Pennsylvania.
The portraits of former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush have also been relocated to the staircase area by the Trump White House. When Trump stood for president in 2016 and in subsequent elections, neither of the former presidents gave their support.
Trump has changed other aspects of the décor as well. He has restored the Rose Graden, chosen portraits and frames for the Cabinet Room, managed a lavish renovation of the Oval Office, and is currently constructing a stately ballroom in the East Wing.
“I do that in my part-time because it's a natural instinct,”
he said during a press conference at the White House on Aug. 11.
“As a real estate person, I was very good at that and I was very good at fixing things up.”
What does the move say about current political tensions between Trump and Obama?
The move to relocate former President Barack Obama's official portrait from a prominent public area in the White House to a restricted, less visible spot at the top of the Grand Staircase reflects escalating political tensions between Trump and Obama.
Traditionally, portraits of recent presidents are displayed prominently for public viewing, so this relocation deviates from established protocol and appears to be symbolic of Trump's ongoing efforts to diminish Obama's legacy and public presence.
This act is part of a broader pattern of animosity. In recent months, tensions have intensified, with Trump accusing Obama and his administration of "manufacturing" intelligence related to Russian interference in the 2016 election, calling Obama a "ringleader" of seditious actions, and even sharing an AI-generated video depicting Obama’s arrest.